Featured Post

Monday, January 7, 2013

Steubenville Rape Case: Monday Updates

As I observed in my major new piece atThe Nation
yesterday, I have been watching the controversy and outrage over the
sexual assualts and alleged coverup in Steubenville, Ohio, for weeks,
partly because my wife's family lives nearby. I have been to that
small city at least fifty times. Here are my weekend updates (almost 20 of them), with Monday's below.

8:00 CNN covering case tonight and AC leads off with it. New evidnece put out by Ohio Attorney General today from "probable cause" hearing in October. Quotes witness on girl "out of it" and assault on girl in backseat with witness videotaping (this has come out before). "Carried out" of party like in the now-famous photo. Three witnesses testified then and cross-examined by defense attorneys--neither dispute that sexual acts took place but only that they were consenual.

Then Gary Tuchman talked to @KYAnonymous guy. He appears on screen in mask in front of green "Anonymous" flag with voice scrambled. He defends putting evidence out and charging some guilty without trial. Then student Ed Wilson goes on screen to say he had been IDed as being at party but denies it fully. Another student, Atkins, claims two charged students not guilty for sure.

Then on to attorneys Jeff Toobin and Mark Geragos. They are conflicted about Anonymous actions--"admirable" but "disturbing" as Geragos puts it. Toobin things change of venue unlikely because juvenile court, just a judge and no jury. Also, judge could seat courtroom. Toobin says "consent" will be key issue, of course. Geragos finally brings out the real key: girl could have been too drunk to give real "consent." Toobin wrongly says it may come down to "he said/she said" when in fact many witnesses and social media comments.

5:10 Local TV station reports U.S. Justice Dept. "is getting involved" and "intervened" in state and local prosecution efforts. "A former federal law enforcement official said federal agencies have
many investigative resources and perhaps manpower and equipment that
Ohio doesn't have. The former official further said it's also
likely the FBI intervened in the case. In addition, if computer hacking
is involved in a case, that is federal jurisdiction."

3:10 Attorney for Michael Nodianos (see below) who is featured in the "hard raping" viral video held a presser a few minutes ago in which he claimed his client was delivering only "second hand" information and was not at the party site where the alleged rapes took place. He had arrived at an earlier party just as she was being carried out. Two problems come to mind: the rapes are alleged to have taken place at more than one site; and Nodianos in the video seems to suggest more firsthand knowledge (and at one point a friend seems to go check on the victim's condition). Attorney says Nodianos withdrew from Ohio State but hopes to return in fall.

2:10 Over the weekend, Ohio State U. issued a cryptic statement on student Michael Nodianos--who is the featured creep in that viral video talking about "hard rapes" and so on. It stated that he had not been on campus since mid-December but this coincided with Christmas break. Today their official Twitter feed announced: "Michael Nodianos is no longer a student at The Ohio State University."

1:05 The Atlantic Wire, which has contributed some valuable updates of its own in past days, returns with lengthy look at several subjects (that I've already covered) but also a little background on notable corruption in Steubenville's past. Some 30 years ago I wrote a book on "whistleblowers" in which one chapter was devoted to the sheriff of the county right across the river in Weirton. He risked his life busting local corruption and illegal gambling--got promoted to U.S. Marshal, and then got busted himself.

11:30 Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, under pressure, says his office still looking at possible additional prosecutions but seems to throw cold water on this with this statement: "There is a different between being insensitive and doing immoral things
and committing a crime. And what I am confined to by Ohio law is what is
a crime and what is not a crime." Is not intervening to halt a crime in process right in front of your eyes not a crime in Ohio?

9:10 a.m. Winston Ross of The Daily Beast with a new report, including chat with one of the Anonymous folks, a visit to the Spot Bar and some new alleged info from attorneys (an adult at one of the parties, not at another, etc.). Ross gives equal time to defenders and protestors.

8:10 p.m. Attorney for one of the two defendants today calls for trial
to be 1) postponed 2) moved out of Steubenville. CNN: "Adam Nemann,
the lawyer for 16-year-old defendant Trent Mays, told CNN
he wants the case moved out of Steubenville because of the extensive
publicity it has received 'and what we perceive as threats to
individuals, perhaps witnesses, and also defendants and even defense
counsel.'"

is author of a dozen books (click on covers at right), including the new "THE TUNNELS: Escapes Under the Berlin Wall and the Historic Films the JFK White House Tried to Kill." He was the longtime editor of Editor & Publisher. Email: epic1934@aol.com. Twitter: @GregMitch

3 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Don't know what happened; but BECAUSE I don't know what happened, I'm willing to let this thing called "due process" work.

Eventually, in a calm setting, all the facts can be separated from the non-facts and some kind of clarity can be obtained.

"Is not intervening to halt a crime in process right in front of your eyes not a crime in Ohio?"

No. Nowhere else in the United States is it a crime either. Nor should it be. Too many problems to make it one. Safety, for one. Especially in though gun control jurisdictions that prevent potential crime-stoppers from having the means to stop a crime.

ORDER MY NEW BOOK

Just published in October by Crown. Click on cover (above) to order at nice discount. It's a thrilling history of escape tunnels--under the Berlin Wall--and JFK's attempt to suppress NBC and CBS films about them at the height of the Cold War.. Hailed by The New York Times Book Review, Bill Moyers, and Frederick Forsyth, among others, and feaured by NPR"s Scott Simon. Paul Greengrass attached to direct movie. "A fascinating and complex picture of the interplay between politics and media in the Cold War era.” -- Washington Post. "A gripping, blow-by-blow account."--Publishers Weekly (starred review).

"Atomic Cover-up": Shocking suppression of U.S. film

How U.S. buried for decades the key footage from Hiroshima shot by the U.S. military. Click on cover above for my popular book and e-book.

My Book on the Bomb with Robert Jay Lifton

Acclaimed book on nuclear culture, and political and psychological fallout in the USA. Written with Robert Jay Lifton. Click on cover to read more or order.

Award-Winning 'Campaign of the Century''

"Upton Sinclair's Race for Governor of California--and the Birth of Media Politics": Amazingly influential and wild 1934 race with great relevance for today.

Hollywood and The Bomb

My book on MGM's 1947 epic on Hiroshima and creating the first bomb--and the White House censorship that wrecked it. E-book just $2.99.

New Edition of my "Tricky Dick and The Pink Lady"

The notorious Nixon-Douglas race in 1950, a New York Times Notable Book, now in new print and e-book versions.

New Edition of my book on Bush, and Media, Failures on Iraq

Preface by Bruce Springsteen. "Read this book--twice." -- Bill Moyers

New Edition of Our Beethoven Book!

G.M.'s book w/ Kerry Candaele, a tie-in to our new acclaimed film. E-book and print.

"Vonnegut and Me" E-book

Conversations and close encounters with the novelist. Click cover for more. $2.99.

How the President and the Military Censored MGM's Anti-Nuke Epic!

The truly wild and important story on the unmaking of 'Most Important Movie Ever Made.' Just $3.29. Click cover to order.

My Latest Book: On Hollywood Politics!

Why and when did the movie biz turn "liberal"? The full and fun story, and the left-wing election campaign that sparked it. Click on cover for more. $3.99.

Unique E-Book on the Obama-Romney Race

Probes campaign 2012 and the aftermath--plus 500 clickable links to key stories and videos! Just $2.99. Click on image above to read more or order.

Search This Blog!

New Edition of U.S. vs. Pvt. Manning Book

Updated: The saga of the whistleblowing soldier, written with Kevin Gosztola. Hailed by Glenn Greenwald, Daniel Ellsberg. Click cover for more.

E-Book on 2008 Election--and Lessons for 2012

Read about or order acclaimed book and e-book by clicking the cover.

Groundbreaking Book on WikiLeaks

The rise of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.

My popular e-book on Occupy

The first book on the OWS movement, from late 2011, with hundreds of links to key stories and videos.

Blog Archive

My Book About Coaching My Son in Little League

Fun "classic" for all parents, optioned by Tom Hanks for a movie. Click on cover to read more or order.